BEIJING — State Councilor Wang Yong on Dec 10 urged efforts to ensure workplace safety and prevent major accidents to facilitate a safe and smooth start of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The situation of workplace safety has remained generally stable across the country this year, but there have been frequent occurrences of coal mine accidents recently, posing severe challenges and risks, Wang said at a video conference on national workplace safety.

He urged relevant authorities to draw lessons from these accidents, to always put the protection of people's lives at the first place, and speedily carry out nationwide supervision and inspection over workplace safety.

Last week, a coal mine accident in Chongqing municipality killed 23 people. In late September, another coal mine accident in Chongqing left 16 people dead.

Wang said recent coal mine accidents will be strictly investigated and those responsible shall be held accountable. He also urged authorities to comprehensively check and fix safety hazards in key industries including coal mines.

Prior to the video conference, Wang attended an unveiling ceremony for the National Mine Safety Administration.